Yellowhammer Times

There were 30 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Alabama in the week ending Dec. 3, making up 2.6% of total deaths by all causes in Alabama, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 3, there were 1,139 deaths in the state. 26.6% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 19.4% were from cancer and 3.6% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 9.5% of deaths were from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Studies show doctors and medical examiners may underreport Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related conditions as the underlying cause of death on death certificates, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Once infected, older adults with dementia are likely to develop a more severe and dangerous illness. The diseases which make an older adult more vulnerable to COVID-19 are age-associated chronic conditions, according to the Bright Focus Foundation.

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Heart disease	303	26.6
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	221	19.4
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	61	5.4
Alzheimer's disease	57	5
Cerebrovascular diseases	48	4.2
Diabetes mellitus	32	2.8
Influenza and pneumonia	30	2.6
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	24	2.1
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	23	2
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	17	1.5

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	108	9.5